Lady Blue Jays Fall Short To Eureka, 70-65

Despite a late game comeback attempt, the Westminster women’s basketball team fell to the #1 conference ranked Eureka College, 65-70. With their 6-5 record, the Blue Jays are ranked 5th in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC), and are 8-9 overall.

It was not until six minutes into the game that the Blue Jays put their first points on the board. With 4:36 left in the first half, Eureka pulled their largest lead of 14 points, 28-14. The Blue Jays headed into halftime trailing the Eureka Red Devils 34-22.

The Red Devils blasted an 11-2 run coming into the second half. With 13:03 left in the game, the Blue Jays sparked an 11-0 run, bringing them within 5 points. A close battle left the Blue Jays fighting for the lead and with 27 seconds left in the game, the Blue Jays trailed by just 3 points, 63-60. The Red Devils went 5-6 from the foul line, closing out the Blue Jays’ chance of winning. The Blue Jays were unable to hit their final three-pointer, ending the game with a 70-65 loss.

Senior Leigh Ann Lutz put up 25 points after going 5-10 from the three-point line and 4-4 from the foul line. Sophomore Kasey Gatson added 13 points after shooting 66% from the field (6-9). Sophomore Mackenzie Haddox chipped in 10 points and grabbed a game high 3 steals. Freshman Andrea Zalis pulled down 10 rebounds, all being defensive rebounds.

The Blue Jays will see the court again next Saturday, February, 1, in Carlinville, Illinois as they face Blackburn College at 1:00 p.m.